Cancer drugs could help MS patients

Results from a trial have shown very positive results for people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

The BBC reported that more than 100 people took part in the trial in hospitals in Chicago (USA), Sheffield (UK), Uppsala (Sweden) and Sao Paulo (Brazil). The patients received either haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or drug treatment.

After one year the results showed an overwhelming improvement in the stem cell group with only one patient experiencing a relapse, compared with 39 patients experiencing relapses in the drug treatment group.

The stem cell treatment involves wiping out an individual’s immune system using chemotherapy before essentially rebooting it via a stem cell transplant that rebuilds a healthy immune system.

With over 100,000 people in the UK living with MS this could potentially be an answer to improve symptoms for many.

Prof John Snowden, haematologist and director of blood and bone marrow transplantation at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital, told the BBC: “We are thrilled with the results – they are a game changer for patients with drug resistant and disabling multiple sclerosis”.